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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. file — a document
  8. land — to come down
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fine — all right
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com